The lack of knowledge of the soil contribution to damping in offshore wind turbines has an impact on energy costs for utility-scale offshore wind installations, since this unknown requires designers to oversize structures, hence making them more costly.

The Seeker is looking for new methods to accurately measure the soil-structure component of damping and its contribution to the damping of offshore wind turbine structures.

Enel Green Power (EGP) is looking for the best available methods to recycle and/or reuse the materials the wind turbine blades, in order to be more and more sustainable, under a circular economy perspective.

The Bureau of Reclamation and its collaborators are seeking devices to provide direct current power for loads of up to 20 watts to electronic instruments on rotating shafts for hydropower generating units. Presently, no practical methods exist for continuously powering these instruments on a rotating shaft. Solutions can be novel approaches or can build upon existing methods or technologies. The total prize purse for this reduction to practice challenge is $250,000.

This is a two-phase Reduction-to-Practice Challenge that requires (Phase 1) written documentation, proof-of-concept data and, (Phase 2, if requested by the Seeker) sample/prototype delivery for experimental validation.

Challenge Orientation Video: Subject matter experts from Reclamation discuss the need for methods to power instruments on a rotating generator shaft (www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU_tcGD9iAI).

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Studies estimate that 76% of the plastic weight produced worldwide becomes waste and only 9% is recycled. Braskem has a strong desire to address this environmental issue and increase post-consumer recycling (PCR). However, the current recycling process is limited because it does not allow to fully remove from the plastic residual chemicals (related to the previous use of the plastic) that leave an unpleasant odour in the recycled plastic. Hence, Braskem is challenging Solvers to propose innovative processes to address this matter.

This is a Reduction-to-Practice Challenge that requires written documentation, experimental proof-of-concept data, and sample delivery.

The increasing use of rooftop solar power generation and other Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) promises to make local utility management much more complex in the coming years. The Seeker is asking for ideas on how to create a system to monitor and manage the complicated utility distribution networks of the future.

This is an Ideation Challenge with a guaranteed award for at least one submitted solution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the nation’s top pork and dairy producers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, World Wildlife Fund, and environmental and scientific experts to host the Nutrient Recycling Challenge—a competition to find affordable technologies to recycle nutrients from livestock waste and create valuable products.

The goals are to:

Accelerate the development of nutrient recovery technologies that are adoptable for pork and dairy farms, and can produce environmental and economic benefits.

Increase awareness of issues and opportunities related to nutrients and manure management.

The Seeker desires a chemical adsorbent or method which can be used to remove elemental mercury from flue gas in a coal fired power plant. The chemical adsorbent or method should be suitable for use in a fixed bed configuration. A number of methods, such as the use of activated carbon are known, however not applicable to conditions of high humidity and in the presence of condensation.

The Seeker desires a Solution for sealing the expansion joints between composite wood panels installed in a residential construction setting. The joint should be waterproof and airtight. The Solution can be a manufacturing solution, a post-installation treatment of the joints on the job-site, or a hybrid of the two approaches.

A manufacturing solution could include a modification of the composite wood in the panel itself, the addition of an engineered edge or coating to the panel, or other innovative approaches. For example, can self-sealing technology (bio-based or polymers approaches) be incorporated into wood panels? Post-installation approaches to seal the joints on the job-site could include complements or improvements to current approaches of using liquid, aerosolized or foam sealants.

Solvers grant the Seeker a non-exclusive license upon submission. By submitting a proposal, Solvers grant to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use any information or intellectual property included in the proposal and/or implementations.

There is a guaranteed award of $10,000. The minimum total award for this challenge is $10,000 (“Minimum Award”), which is guaranteed to be awarded.

Access to safe, clean and reliable sources of energy has a significant impact on health, quality of life, education and economic productivity. Particularly in the developing world, access to such type of energy has the potential to change the landscape in terms of poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, and, no less important, global warming.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a clean-burning, portable, and efficient fuel that is increasingly used in many developing countries. However, the existence of a large number of aging cylinders constitutes a worrying safety hazard due to lack of maintenance that puts populations in danger and ultimately hinders the growth of a successful LPG market.

Hence, the Seeker to this Challenge is looking for high-value alternative uses for substandard cylinders, so that they can be recycled and removed from the LPG distribution channels.

Engage in this Challenge and contribute to save lives and promote clean energy uptake throughout Africa!